Grace and flavour
British-Iranian chef and author Sabrina Ghayour is the queen of Middle Eastern cookery and an expert on maximising flavour while minimising costs. Here are three dishes to make a perfect meal.
Crispy, sticky harissa lamb
“Cantonese crispy shredded chilli beef is one of my all-time favourite dishes,” says Sabrina Ghayour.
“This is very much my own creation and my nod to that wonderful combination of sweet and sticky, crispy and chewy bites of meat, but using lamb and adding peppers to the mix instead of carrots. It’s an explosion of flavour that ticks every box.”
Serves 3-4. Ingredients: 6tbsp cornflour; 350g lamb leg steaks, cut into 1cm-wide strips; vegetable oil, for frying; 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced into half moons; 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into very thin strips; 5 spring onions, thinly sliced from root to tip, reserve some for garnish; Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper; steamed white rice, to serve. For the sauce: 5tbsp clear honey; 4tbsp rose harissa; 3tbsp rice vinegar; 2tbsp light soy sauce; 2tbsp cornflour
Mix the cornflour with a very generous amount of salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, add the strips of lamb and really work the cornflour into the lamb for a minute or so. Set aside.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, pour in about 2.5cm vegetable oil and bring to frying temperature (add a little bit of a lamb strip: if it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough). Line a plate with a double layer of kitchen paper.
While the oil is heating up, place a small saucepan over a medium heat, add all the sauce ingredients and whisk together until no lumps of cornflour remain and the mixture is smooth. Heat the sauce through, but do not let it bubble or burn, then remove from the heat.
Fry the lamb strips in batches in the hot oil for about two to three minutes, or until very crisp on the outside. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper-lined plate to drain.
Heat another large frying pan over a high heat, add a drizzle of vegetable oil and stir-fry the onion and red pepper until browned a little.
Add the lamb strips followed by the sauce and toss together until evenly coated with the sauce, then add the spring onions and combine well. Serve immediately scattered with the reserved spring onions and alongside steamed white rice. This needs no accompaniment.
Courgette, lemon, feta and pine nut tart
“This is one of those quick and easy recipes that can be thrown together in next to no time,” says Sabrina.
“I love this kind of dish with a green leaf salad and a simple vinaigrette on the side, but you can also cut it into smaller portions and serve it as snacks or light bites with drinks, too.”
Serves 4. Ingredients: 200g feta cheese, finely crumbled; 250g ricotta cheese; 1tsp dried mint; 1tsp dried wild oregano; 2tsp lemon extract; finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon; 1 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet (about 350mm x 230mm); 1 courgette, very thinly sliced; olive oil; handful of pine nuts; 2 tablespoons clear honey; 1/2tsp pul biber chilli flakes (omit if you prefer); Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220C (200C fan), Gas Mark 7. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Put the feta, ricotta, dried herbs and lemon extract and zest into a mixing bowl with a good seasoning of salt and pepper and beat together until smooth.
Place the puff pastry sheet on the lined tray and score a 1cm-wide border around the edges, then spread the cheese mixture across the pastry up to the scored border.
Lay the courgette slices, slightly overlapping, on the cheese mixture, season well with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
Scatter over the pine nuts and bake for
16–18 minutes until the pastry edges are nicely browned.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the pul biber before serving.
Tahini, almond and chocolate crumble cookies
“I cannot tell you how satisfying these cookies are – so much so that I usually have a bag of the cookie dough balls stashed in my freezer ready for baking whenever the craving hits,” says Sabrina.
“The texture is crumbly in an almost sandy way and the absolute optimum moment to enjoy them is 30 minutes out of the oven, when the cookies have cooled down, but the chocolate is still gooey.”
Makes 14. Ingredients: 125g salted butter, softened; 125g soft light brown sugar; 75g caster sugar;1/2tsp ground cinnamon; 100g tahini (use the solids and avoid the oil as much as possible); 150g plain flour; 1/2tsp baking powder; 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda; 50g blanched almonds, roughly chopped; 200g dark chocolate chunks (70 per cent cocoa solids)
Beat the softened butter, sugars and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Then add the tahini and mix until smooth. Next, add the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and mix until evenly combined. Finally, add the almonds and dark chocolate chunks and mix until evenly distributed. Weigh the cookie dough, divide into 14 equal portions and form each into a ball. Chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours, or overnight if preferred. Once chilled, you can then freeze the cookie dough balls for later use.
To bake, preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan), Gas Mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place your dough balls, well spaced out, on the lined tray and gently flatten them (omit this stage if using frozen dough). Bake for 16 minutes (or 18 from frozen). Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray for 30 minutes, then enjoy.